Potala Palace Day
Trip Start
Jan 05, 2009
1
9
12
Trip End
Jan 26, 2009
Tibet,
China
Thursday, January 15, 2009
things I saw today. First thing today, after a not so great night's sleep,
Christie and I woke up and headed down to breakfast. It was so delicious...they
had Chick-fil-a fries...waffle fries this morning = amazing. After breakfast, I
had a little bit of time before we were heading out for the day, so I updated
my blog, and got my things ready for the day. We met in the lobby about 9:30,
because the sun doesn't really start to come up here until at least 8:30 or
8:45. It is really cold in Tibet in the morning, but it has been at least 45-50
degrees. Our first visit this morning was to the Potala Palace. It is my new
favorite place. I am in love with it. Buddhism is certainly not my religion of
choice, but the dedication of the Tibetan people to their religion is moving
and the Palace is a manifestation of the significance of Buddhism in Tibet. The
palace is the highest palace in the world and was built in the 7th
century. It was the home of the Dalai Lama, until 1959 when the Dalia Lama fled
to India. I got to see the room where the Dalai Lama met with Chinese officials
about the future of Tibet, which was amazing to be standing in the same place.
Every single inch of the Palace was decorated with fabrics, paint, statues,
everything. It was absolutely beautiful. It was about a 30 minute walk up the
stairs, but it was worth it once we got inside. The tombs of past Lamas are
inside the palace, along with the living quarters and many chapels. When you
look at the photo of the Palace, the white part is the living quarters of the
Dalai Lama and the monks, while the red is for religious purposes. Once again,
I can't explain to you the beauty of this palace and the impression it had on
me. Every single day, the local Tibetan people go through the palace, while
those from other parts of Tibet travel as many times as possible during the
year that their financial status will allow them. Today, an elderly lady was
climbing the steps, and you could tell it took every ounce of energy she had to
climb the stairs. Many children came through the palace as well. It took a lot
of energy to get through it all, but it should definitely be on your list of
things to see. We weren't allowed to take cameras inside, so you'll have to
take my word for what the inside of the palace looked like, but I can promise
you, there is nothing in the world like it.
After our visit to the Potala Palace we went to lunch at
Tibet Steak house. We had all kinds of delicious food, including Yak. Yak is
absolutely delicious, and it is a very popular food in Tibet. The animal is
used for their meat and coat in Tibet, and is a very important animal for the
Tibetan people. After eating lunch we went to the Sera Monastery on the
outskirts of Lhasa. It was touching to see again, the dedication of the Tibetan
people to Buddhism. The monastery was first construction in the 1500s and, some
of the original paintings on the interior walls of the assembly hall remain,
however about 50 percent of the Monastery was destroyed in 1959 and again in
the Cultural Revolution. However, it was beautiful, and we met lots of
interesting people and saw daily life in rural Tibet. Most of the buildings in
Lhasa were constructed after 1959, however, this part that we saw today was old
Tibet. It was pre-China Tibet, and it was astounding. I cannot wait to return
to Lhasa, if I am ever fortunate enough. Enjoy the pictures!
Love
Anna
